Queen Fa successfully became the heiress of Zhou Gong, inheriting Queen Chao's title and office.
He has a mature mind, not arrogance when he was suddenly promoted to a high position, but anxious and enjoy? Now is far from the time to enjoy.
He treaded carefully as if on thin ice, handling relationships with even greater caution.
However, young heirs are still different from the thoughts of the old.
Queen Fa's reputation was far less than that of Queen Chao, and with a lot of little brothers watching, he had to make some achievements in the short term.
Attack the Si Shui Pass? Don't be ridiculous.
Yes, the Shi Bing did suffer heavy losses, but Xī Qǐ was also weakened, and it is impossible to launch a war in this state. Furthermore, breaking the Si Shui Pass means facing Jie Pai Pass, Chuan Yun Pass, Tang Pass, and Lin Tang Pass. When will they ever reach their final destination?
If we can't achieve the goals externally, then we can only turn our attention inwards.
Ji Fa sought out Ya Fu Jiang Ziya for consultation.
The term "Ya Fu" means "next to one's own father," and Ji Fa now uses this term instead of his rank in the Chuanjiao hierarchy.
Jiang Ziya, born as Shang of the Jiang family and taking on the name Shang and Ziya, was addressed by Ji Fa as "Shang Fu."
Ji Fa asked respectfully, "Uncle Shang, although You Zhou was ruthless and was abandoned by all under heaven, he should be conquered according to righteousness. However, Yin Hong has always had a heart of benevolence and cares for the people. Now that he has inherited the great cause, I, along with Uncle Shang, will uphold our filial piety and loyalty to the heavens and the people's hearts. Is this not a good thing?"
Jiang Ziya is over eighty, and Ji Fa's thoughts are obvious to him.
To be honest, he was not quite in agreement with Queen Chao's loyalty to his late father and Brother Yin Hong's veneration of Yin Hong. What for? They have fought for so many years. Why should they still serve as ministers of Yin? It's really unnecessary.
In this regard, the Han Kingdom in the south has handled it quite cleanly. I won't claim the title of king, but I also won't place a descendant of the Yin family as my ancestor on my head. Just fight your battles and treat us as if we didn't exist.
Previous messengers sent by Brother Yiyu were gradually returning, and the messengers said that when the Xī Qǐ was fighting against the Shi Bing soldiers, people there were enjoying themselves by eating hot pot and playing mahjong, which was absolutely absurd!
Jiang Ziya has always disliked Yin Hong, but Ji Chao was older and more respected than him, and also the "boss of the company", so he had nothing to say as just an employee.
Now it's different. He is the "Uncle" (a term of respect), and the "boss of the company" has changed as well. His status has become that of a partner, so it's natural for him to make some changes.
At this moment, he spoke earnestly: "The old servant dare not betray the trust of the late king. However, the old servant observes that Yin Hong has become immersed in women, and lacks good policies for governing the country and ensuring its safety. He may not be the proper ruler of the land. The heaven is the mother of all things, and humans are endowed with wisdom by heaven. The king of Yin has caused harm to the people, and they are living in a state of chaos. Today's change in fortune calls for your majesty to act as a warrior who will save the people and unify the land. If you do not follow heaven, your sins may be equally severe."
Ji Fa felt joy within but appeared shocked on the surface: "How can the poor have offended heaven? In this case, what should I do?"
Both sides exchanged words back and forth. Ji Fa repeatedly expressed his intention to continue as a loyal minister of the Yin dynasty, and Jiang Ziya tried to give him an out, suggesting that it wasn't about rebelling against the Yin dynasty; it was heaven's will, so he should just go along with it!
In the end, Ji Fa had to "begrudgingly" agree and set a plan.
Huang Huang learns from the ancestors and lets Yin Hong abdicate the throne in favor of himself.
Yin Hong is certainly not the common ruler of all under heaven now, but it doesn't matter. As long as this procedure is followed, the establishment of the Zhou kingdom will be as natural as can be.
Becoming the King of Zhou can significantly boost Ji Fa's personal prestige, which is what he most needs at present.
The abdication ceremony cannot be performed casually; it is very complex. Jiang Ziya, who is not particularly skilled in ceremonial matters, sought advice from Ji Dan.
Ji Dan actually prefers that Bo Yike succeed to the throne, as he sees Bo Yike as the true gentleman, a wise ruler capable of governing the four directions. Ji Fa has many thoughts, but since Ji Chang personally acknowledged Ji Fa in the presence of all his sons, there's not much he can say.
There are not many people in the Ji family who consider Yin Hong their master. They can conduct a self-proclaimed abdication ceremony without any problem.
Ji Dan studies ancient rituals, referring to the old customs of Yao, Shun, and Yu, preparing to create a new abdication ceremony in the new era.
The "Book of Filial Piety" hasn't been written yet, and there are no established rules for how long one should mourn the death of a parent.
It is impossible to expect that during a time when enemies can attack at any moment, for dozens of sons to do nothing and cry at the door every day. However, funerals are still necessary. Ji Chang should be given a grand funeral and buried with dignity, after which everyone can attend his funeral rites. They can then continue to cultivate their emotions before discussing the matter of abdication.
This would take about half a year altogether.
The Taihang Mountains can't be visited, so let's perform the abdication ceremony at Mount Ji.
The Feng Sheng Platform is also located there, and the abdication ceremony can be conducted in front of the gods, making it extremely sacred.
The abdication ceremony is not a secret and should be heavily promoted. As the "principal party", Yin Hong soon learned from the palace maids that he had to abdicate the common ruler's position to Ji Fa. At this moment, he realized that he had to abdicate the throne of the common ruler of all under heaven to Ji Fa.
"Darling, what are we to do?" He hurriedly sought advice from his close friend, the nine-tailed fox spirit.
The nine-tailed fox spirit had no way to help. Her powers were sealed by Wén Zhōng's Jie Jiao symbols, and the Jie Jiao spells were formidable. Although many years had passed, there were no signs of any loopholes in their spell.
Ji Chao strictly controlled the entry and exit of the Shi Bing soldiers during the siege, claiming to be protecting them.
After Ji Chao's death, Ji Fa escalated the level of surveillance on them even further, now to the point where even fellow practitioners can no longer see them.
"There's no way out, we may as well wait for death."
Ji Fa handed over the burial of Ji Chao and the abdication ceremony to Ji Dan, took over internal affairs from Bo Yike, handing them over to Jiang Ziya, and sent General Nan Gong Xi to continue recruiting and training new soldiers. Now most of the troops in Xī Qǐ were farmers, but it didn't matter; they would become elite troops after a few battles.
After everything was arranged, he finally came to talk heart-to-heart with Bo Yike.
He didn't fear his brothers; it was this eldest brother that was difficult to arrange.
The function of the Grand Master of Rites is mainly ceremonial, and when Ji Fa truly takes his position, Bo Yike can be appointed as a kind of ceremonial Grand Master of Rites. For now, it's not possible. It's better for Bo Yike to stay away from Xī Qǐ City.
Bo Yike made no resistance and willingly handed over his power, which was in respect for his father's will.
Let him wholeheartedly assist Ji Fa? Frankly speaking, it's not possible.
Ji Fa came to him for an all-night talk with candlelight, and he also confided in him, sharing some of his thoughts: "Don't worry about it, my lord. After the burial of our father, Bo Yike will prepare to take his wife and go to the source of the Wei River to build a city in the place where our ancestors used to graze horses and sheep."
These days, it's still more or less the city-state system. In the Han Kingdom, places like Nandu, Hanzhong, and Shu are all centered around cities, radiating outwards to govern the people.
The Han Kingdom has five city-states with over one million inhabitants, spanning several thousand li. In contrast, Xī Qǐ currently has only one city-state, Xī Qǐ City, and its territory is just this small corner of the northwest of the realm of Xia.
